Social media in Real Life has changed the way
we interact with people whether for social or business aspects.

For businesses
it is a fast and cost effective way for not only promoting your business but
also keeping your followers in touch with any news you may wish to share with
them in real time.

To
incorporate this into your Second Life business, does it work for your Second
Life business?

The answer is Yes. Anyone in Second Life can
create a business and use social media to promote it. All one needs is an email
address to create an account.

Once an account is created, it is time to
work on a promotional campaign. Having visual aids like posters and logos is
very helpful in gaining recognition. Experienced writers can help you create a
professional press release that will entice people to learn more about what you
have to offer. Building a social media audience is important and will help
boost your business.

How
is having a RL Facebook/Twitter Account Different from an SL Facebook/Twitter presence?

In
Real Life, if you have a Facebook group page or a Twitter account than chances
are you have a wider audience, including family members, friends, colleagues and
friends of friends but most people choose to keep their personal lives separate
from their Second Life activities.

The difference between the two accounts is
the amount of followers.

Networking
and Building a following

Whilst
some people have a large volume of SL friends, their RL networks are more
contained. For others, it is the opposite.

If you have a Second Life Facebook/Twitter
page, you might only have Second Life
residents on your list and that depends on who has Facebook/Twitter accounts to
access and follow your page. Taking that into consideration, you cannot really
compare SL business volume to the real world. It is obvious that there are less
people in Second Life than the world itself and not everyone uses social media.

For example, you have a Second Life business
which has had a healthy number of people
in your in-world business group . You
join Second Life Facebook/Twitter and create a page for your business. If you
promote your Facebook/Twitter page in your group this will encourage your group
members to not just wait to see what is new with your business when they log into
SL but they can now check out the latest news from you outside of the virtual
world and even share the page or tweet with their friends.

Advantages
of Networking

Sharing your page, inviting new friends and
including your Facebook look in your press release notices are a great advantage
because it will enable your business to gain wider audience and business
awareness.

There is no right or wrong way in creating
your Facebook/Twitter account providing you keep it Second Life orientated and
professional if your product is geared more towards business and residence in
Second Life.

Don’t
expect to much too soon

How effective these two or other social
network tools are will depend on how much work you wish to put into promoting
them. Just like promoting your business in Second Life groups, you will need to
promote your business on your social networks too by getting people to like
your Facebook page or follow you on Twitter.

If your Facebook page generates 20 likes this
can seem like a small number when compared to rl business, but you have to see
it as a positive thing. 20 people may
only like your Facebook page or 20 people may have only followed you on Twitter
but for Second Life and depending on your business, that is a good start.

There
is always room to grow

There is a high percentage of Second Life
Residence using Facebook or what some may call it SL Facebook, which enables
you to gear your business to them. However, it does not mean that you will get
a large number of followers actually logging in to buy products regularly. Advertising and promoting takes time. The key
to success is consistency and repetition. The more often you use your social
networks, the more visibility it produces.

Professionalism
is Important

Facebook and Twitter are great advertising
tools when used appropriately so always use a professional approach when
dealing with your business and presenting it to others.

Do
your Research on new promotional ideas

Facebook and Twitter are just a couple of
social networks out of many tools you can use to gain revenue and business
awareness. Doing your research and
organize a business plan is vital to any business. Once you have the promotional tools you need
to succeed, it will be much easier to promote on multiple networks.